MICHAEL WARDIAN
OF ARLINGTON,
VA TAKES TOP HONORS AT THE
DELAWARE MARATHON WITH A 2:30:27.

A Day for Mother NatureCOURTESY OF THE NEWS JOURNAL

WILMINGTON, DE--The sun was just beginning to peek over the
clouds above the Wilmington AMTRAK station as the Delaware Marathon
runners embarked on their 26.2-mile quest from Tubman Garrett
Riverfront Park on the revitalized Wilmington Riverfront on May
13, 2012

Robert Laskowski, CEO and President of Christiana Care Health
System yanked the cord on the cannon that noisily signaled the
start. Nearly 750 marathoners were on their way; soon to be followed
by 1150 half-marathon runners and 1100 additional relay marathon
runners.

The race announcer provided some incentive, reminding runners
that a champagne tent, a beer garden, and a chocolate-milk lounge
were waiting for them at the finish of their two-lap jaunt.
Michael Wardian zipped to the front within the first mile and
as he led the field back through the park on the Christina River
less than fifteen minutes later, the sun was already blazing.
It was quite evident early on that this would not be a day for
personal bests.

Wardian, 38, of Arlington, Virginia was again the star of
the show, winning the ninth annual marathon for the third straight
time and fourth overall. His 2:30:27 time was the slowest of
his four victories but that was to be expected on a warm morning
with temperatures in the 70s and full sunlight.

Asked about his run while enjoying a cold, fresh chocolate
milk, Wardian replied, "Ive been working on my hills
and on all the climbs, I felt really strong. I just felt really
slow on the flats. It was the sixth marathon the busy Wardian
had run and the third he had won. He said that the comfort of
family and friends and the familiarity of a well-organized event
keeps bringing him back.
Although he did not pick up any of the event bonuses, he did
pocket a $1,000 winners check.

Smiling broadly as she crossed the finish line, the $1,000
winners check as womans champion went to Chrissy
Graham, 38, of Olney, Maryland, who was running her first Delaware
Marathon. Graham wasnt even breathing heavily when she
finished in 3:08:05 and 18th overall. This one was close
to home and I read the reviews and they were awesome, Graham
said. It was way better than some of the bigger marathons
Ive run.

Half-marathon champion, Darryl Brown, 29, of Exton, Pennsylvania,
clocked in at 1:10:34 while the female half-marathon champion,
Maggie Bradley, 36, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania finished
in 1:29:59, good for 22nd overall. The relay winners were Josh
Loren, Patrick Boettcher, Mike LoSapio, and Mark Hannagan, comprising
the New Balance Delaware Racing Team, who finished with a 2:30:34.

The 3,000 entrants made it the largest field in event history
as competitors came from 45 states and four countries. The 50
State Marathon Club and Marathon Maniacs had large contingents
in the field, as many happy runners were able to say they checked-off
Delaware from their bucket lists. Overall, the event organizers
indicated they distributed $7,300 in cash awards in the four
events and awarded 270 male and female bobble-head runners to
the winners. Race organizers also gave special recognition to
marathon runners from all fifty states with personalized signs
on the racecourse and with Home State awards for the fastest
runner from each state.

When asked about the change to Mothers Day for the annual
event, Operations Director, Joel Schiller remarked: We
were initially concerned about the change of dates but when the
early entrants began to outpace the past registrations, we decided
the event would be a new Mothers Day tradition for us.
And when presenting sponsor, New Balance Brandywine and Christiana,
offered us hot pink tech shirts for the ladies, we knew wed
be alright.

Runners in each event could be distinguished by the color
of their bibs. Half-marathon and marathon runners also had their
names imprinted on their bibs, allowing for spectators to cheer
in a more individualized way. Many relay teams also created special,
colorful team shirts with special messages. Some read: SOS--Speed
of Sound, Trotting for Tony, Red Hot
Mommas, and Always for Dad.

One eight-person team wore familiar purple shirts that
read Run for Bobby, honoring Robert Stewart of Wilmington,
who died of lymphoma several years ago. The team said they were
raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, one of
the event beneficiaries.

The 2012 beneficiaries also included the Helen Graham Cancer
Center, the Center for Heart & Vascular Health at Christiana
Care, Girls on the Run, Epilepsy Foundation, Families with Muscular
Spinal Atrophy, and the Mike Clark Legacy Foundation. The Delaware
Marathon Running Festival has donated more than $100,000 to dozens
of local charities in its first eight years.
The tenth annual Delaware Marathon Running Festival returns to
Wilmington on May 12, 2013.